This invention broadly relates to multimedia conferencing wherein two or more parties interact visually and/or audibly. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method for restricting the position of a video display window relative to the position of a video camera so that parties or participants involved in the multimedia conference/call will appear to be looking in the general direction of the camera while they are looking at the video display window.
In all areas, such as the technical, business or educational fields there is an ever-present need to meet with others to exchange ideas, information, data, drawings and the like. Typically, in the business arena, executive meetings, customer demonstrations, product development, administration matters, education/training offerings and the like usually require a conference meeting or call. Normally, a conference is the only practical means of communicating with people having a common interest in a specific subject. If the conference is with people who are located in the same building or in a common geographical area, the conference can be an extremely efficient method of transmitting ideas and resolving issues. When, however, the participants of the conference are at remote locations, i.e. different cities, some of the participants will experience inconveniences in traveling to and from the conference. Video conferencing between parties can rectify the problems associated with remotely located parties that need to communicate. Aside from conferencing, video calls are also being conducted more routinely since adding a visual component to conventional telephone calls can improve the communication process substantially.
While video conferencing or video calling can be extremely useful, the manner in which the video images are collected and displayed can be somewhat problematic. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical prior art video conferencing or calling setup for a video conference/call participant 100 includes a display 110, a video camera 120 and a video display window 130 which provides an image of the one or more other participants in the video conference/call. In this illustrated example, participant 100 has positioned the video display window 130 in a bottom left hand corner of the display 110 while the video camera 120 has been positioned at a top or superior portion of the video display 110. Thus, when participant 110 engages in the video conference/call, the participant""s eyes will be directed to the video display window 130 at the bottom left hand comer of the video display 110. However, since the video camera is positioned at a distance away from the video display window 130, the other participant(s) in the video call/conference will be provided an image of participant 100 staring away from the video camera 120 since the participant""s gaze is directed to the video display window 130. This phenomenon becomes apparent when any video conference/call participant positions their video display window at a place on their screen which is at a distance away from their video camera since the line of their gaze 140 will be averted to at a different angle and direction than the camera direction and focus 150.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method for improving the shortcomings of prior art video conferencing/calling setups and procedures as discussed above.
The present invention is a method for providing improved video communications between participants using video displays and video cameras. In one embodiment, the present method restricts the position of a video conferencing window provided on the video display relative to the position of the video camera. The video conferencing window will be restricted to a top portion of the video display provided the video camera is positioned on top of the video display. Alternatively, the video conferencing window will be restricted to a bottom portion of the video display provided the video camera is positioned below or proximate to an inferior surface of the video display.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a method for improving a video call between two or more video call participants, each of the participants utilizing a video display and a video camera for participating in the video call, which includes providing a video call window on the video displays of the participants in the video call and restricting the position of the video call windows on the participants"" video displays, wherein the video call windows are restricted to a position relative to the position of the participants"" video cameras.
Any movement of the video conference/call window outside prescribed area or boundary will not be permitted or alternatively, such movement will be discouraged via a warning facility. In one embodiment, the video conference/call window will simply be returned to a position within the boundary if an attempt to move the video conference/call window outside the boundary is made.